


Merlin's Falcon

by oakofdreams



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Gen, falcon - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-22
Updated: 2013-04-22
Packaged: 2017-12-09 05:56:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/770765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oakofdreams/pseuds/oakofdreams
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a little animal brings hope back to Camelot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Merlin's Falcon

Merlin stared out of the window down the great wall of the castle. There in the forest around the dark trees he saw a bird flying. It spread its wings to the sky and held them with pride. A falcon. Merlin smiled. He was amazed by this young bird, amazed by its freedom. 

“Merlin!” The sorcerer sighed. Surely this falcon had a lot more freedom than him.

“Merlin!” Now the voice of his king was more urgently. He really had to hurry.

Merlin ran down the floor and right into Arthur’s arms. The King’s face was in wrinkles and he looked down on Merlin kind of angry. “What were you doing?”

“Me?” Merlin gave him an expression which he thought doesn’t made him seem completely guilty… only a little “Nothing.” He sent him a smile.

“You watched out for this…” Arthur made an indefinable gesture “…bird again, weren’t you?”

“It’s a falcon.” Merlin sighed. “And his name is Archimedes.” The king would never see the use of his little friend and he could never tell him of that otherwise Arthur would know that his servant had magic. Instead of adding anything else he turned his smile to a grin.

“You're hopeless Merlin, you should rather spend your time with washing my clothes or with worrying about me!” He returned the grin but quickly changed into a worried expression. “Morgana is planning something, she has been quiet too long and me and my knights want to end this one and for all.” He ignored how shocked Merlin seemed from one moment to another. “We just don’t have any information what she is going to do.”

Suddenly Merlin saw the weight lasting on Arthur’s shoulder, a heavy burden that pulled him down. But he would never give in even if he’d given the people too much. He rather took all the pain in the world for himself than see them suffer.

Merlin looked down. He knew that he couldn’t stop him even if he tried. There was only one hope left and Arthur wouldn’t be happy with this.

“What about waiting one more day?” He said a little worried.

“Of course we will, we still have to prepare a lot of things, we might lose a lot of men and I want to make sure they are willing to make this sacrifice.” Arthur looked sad. It clearly hadn’t been an easy decision.

***

At the night when the moon lightened the dark the young sorcerer called out for his fellow little friend. Archimedes landed on his shoulders and listened to Merlin’s words when he gave him a task to do and then the falcon disappeared in the darkness again with only a shadow left.

***

Right in the morning even before Merlin could hear Arthur scream his name he was at the king’s chambers.

“Good morning, Sire.”

Arthur stood there and waited for his amour. He raised his eyebrow as he saw Merlin looking that delighted. 

“I’m not sure if this is a good morning, Merlin.” Arthur took his sword and pulled it closed to him. The cold metal in his hand made the king feel safer. For a moment his head sank down. Merlin noticed that his friend tried to bear all the different thoughts in his mind, his fear, his anger just to be the man he needed to be. Merlin’s mood changed a little whn he saw him this way. He could only hope that everything went right.

A sound appeared on the closed window of the chambers and Merlin’s doubts disappeared right after the moment they came. There he was. The young sorcerer would never question his falcon’s abilities. Archimedes was a strong and proud animal. And he even was more than just an animal. He was a silver line of hope for this kingdom. The falcon’s grey eyes looked through the window and watched the people inside as if he was the king of all of them. Not Arthur. In his nib he held something as black as the darkness itself. Merlin caught the falcon’s eyes and understood his nature in its whole extent. It was a raven. Archimedes had caught Morgana’s raven. Merlin almost felt like laughing. Sure Morgana’s ravens were filled with magic but the magic that this falcon was born of was much older than Morgana could ever think of.

“What is this?” Arthur looked up kind of distracted and stared at the animal outside the window. His voice disturbed Merlin’s thought and reminded him of the urgency of this moment.

Merlin went over to open the window. Archimedes flew into the chamber and lifted the room with its shimmer. The raven landed directly beneath Arthur feet. Then the falcon sat down on Merlin’s shoulders.

“Oh no, Merlin how many times have I told you that this animal is not allowed in my castle?” Arthur’s voice lost its harshness as he noticed what “this animal” had brought him.

“Is this…?”

“Yes it is.” Merlin couldn’t hold his smile back any longer. The falcon snuggled up to his shoulders. Then Archimedes looked down to Arthur and watched him kneel down.

The king suddenly held a small paper in his hands. “This was written by Morgana.” He said quietly and filled with thoughts.

“She was going to send this raven to her allies. Now they won’t get it anymore.” Merlin still smiled. This would be the clue to all their problems. Arthur nodded and seemed like he didn’t really listen, instead he just read the letter. 

After a long pause he focused Merlin again. “I never thought I’d say this but you've surprised me again, Merlin.” His view changed to the falcon which was still on Merlin shoulders with his head held high in pride. “But I admit when I make a mistake. You were right to bring this animal here.”

“Really?” Merlin’s smile turned into a grin. “Did you actually turn into a nice king?”

“This animal is our salvation.” Arthur went over to the door. “I have to tell the knights directly. We are going to win this war.” His face was full of steely determination now. But he still turned around again and focused Merlin. “Don’t get used to this.”

“I won’t.” Merlin shouted with a laugh as Arthur left the room.

He caressed the feathering of his falcon.

“Tonight you were our light in the dark.”

Instead of a response Archimedes just opened his wings and flew out into the dawn with the raising sunlight following his journey.


End file.
